Blue Jacket Park is definitely one of my favorite parks to visit. It is spacious with many…read moreopportunities to engage in various activities, from working out, biking, jogging/running, walking, picnicking, yoga - you name it, you can do it. While it is a lively park and can get busy from time to time, especially on the days the run/walk clubs are there, it is usually a nice park to visit solo and enjoy the peace of the surroundings offered. There is more than enough open green space and a good amount of seating throughout the park. The park also maintains various courts/area for various sporting events like baseball, volleyball, soccer, and various other outdoor activities. As far as proximity to other areas, this park is also located a short distance from the shopping and food eateries in Baldwin Park. So, after enjoying a great workout or just strolling through the park, you can pop over to Baldwin Park for some food and beverages. The only challenge, at times, is parking. Parking in this area (in general) is just tricky; however, there is street parking throughout the neighborhood near the park as well as a designated parking lot for the park itself. However, you can also park throughout the Baldwin Park area and just walk to the park from there. Before I close this out, I've gone to numerous events in this park as well, so it is great for hosting various community events (of course, with the proper permits, etc.). All in all, Blue Jacket Park is really just a great park.

I've been coming here since I was a kid, and I still love walking around this park to this day…read more I used to come here to play tennis as a kid. The park is also pretty fun. I can still use the swings at least! One of my favorite things to do here is to walk around the park though. It's great exercise! It used to be a Navy base long ago, with a ship for training! Now it's a park with recently added plaques and statues to honor its past.

I have mixed feelings about ICE! The hard work that the…read moreartists put into carving and decorating is truly mind blowing. I really appreciate everything that they do and the time that it takes. I'm not a fan of waiting in long lines, and this always seems to have a lot of lines and in multiple places. It's really hard to get good photos of your group or the ice because of how many people are walking around. No one seems to be cognizant of others' and it gets frustrating. Not the fault of the ICE! group, but just a comment. I've only done this experience twice in ten years and am fine to keep it that way. Really great idea and beautiful crafting, but a lot of work (parking, lines, people, it's freezing).

I haven't been here since I was a kid but all I can say is how much I appreciate the effort &…read morecraftsmanship put into making these works of art. While the outside "gift shop" has the typical overpriced tourist grabbers, it shouldn't be factored into the actual ice sculptures inside. The only issue I had with the whole event is the inevitable parking fee you have to pay. It's $40 but you can prepay to save $10. Aside from that, I don't have a single complaint about the event itself. When you step into the showroom that's kept at a brisk 9°F, you really find yourself immersed in the world of that year's theme. This year is one that shouldn't be missed: Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer. You're supplied a parka before entering that you have to wear & trust me you'll probably be thankful for it. Even as someone who runs hot, I found it to be chilly from time to time. I'd definitely suggest bringing some gloves & a beanie/hat, especially if you're bringing children. Closed toed shoes should be pretty obvious but everyone's different. I was absolutely blown away by the scale of the sculptures. The showrooms had entire structures built from ice, the characters were screen-accurate & there were many iconic scenes displayed. It's truly incredible what the art team produced. Between the different textures carved into the pieces, the massive sizes & detailed paint jobs, I can't say there's a single thing that I didn't love. The movies score plays throughout which was a great little touch, it really tied everything together. Overall, I had an amazing time & I'd definitely recommend it to any Rudolph or art fans. You really slip away into a winter wonderland here in FL. I'm already looking forward to seeing what next year's theme will be.

This is the least Lego looking carousel I've seen at a Legoland. What stands out to the kids is…read morethat it has 2 levels, and they seem to gravitate toward that. If you aren't in the beginning of the line, it's hard to get to that 2nd level. Otherwise, it's a pretty ordinary carousal that a toddler can enjoy too.

Lake Baldwin is my go too for my walks and jogs! I feel safe here no matter the time of day because…read morethere are so many people being active rather walking, cycling, jogging or a walk/ run club or 5! The scenery is peaceful and it's a good way to clear your mind, get fit or enjoy a nice convo and coffee with your friends, partner or kids. This is my 3-4 day routine and I love it so much !

This is one of my favorite parks. I've been visiting for over a decade. It used to have a different…read morename. It's a great dog park. I really miss the giant tree by the dog wash area. The stump remains. There used to be an incredible piece of art carved into the tree. There are still other great trees remaining though. Lots of trees. One time I went there on a cool autumn morning and I thought I had passed into dog HEAVEN!!! The fancy dog rescue groups met up and there were tons of incredible dog breeds, especially the ones that look like big fluffy mops. I've been here numerous times, & this park means a lot to me. I have incredible memories. *Beware of the lake, there might be alligators. (I used to enjoy watching the sailboat lessons.) *Best if you wear boots. Last time I ended up with a bunch of dirt in my shoes. *I've only seen 2 dog fights. Stay close to your dog. *Once, I saw what appeared to be coyote fur on a fence, there might be one around there sometimes. The walking trails in the woods/forest part is really fun. A guy used to play his guitar in a center area. I like walking my dogs through the woods there. Sad when I see my dogs years later unable to walk like they previously could, or disoriented, lost in there. We sure did enjoy that park extensively. Bring dog shampoo & a towel if you want, the dog shower bench is free.

Classic and Iconic Disney attraction. Prince Charming Regal Carrousel is merry go round at Magic…read moreKingdom. It has been here forever and I remember riding it as a child and I still enjoy a ride on it every now and then. I think this is a must ride especially for first time Disney visitors. The line is usually not super long. The ride itself is about 3-4 minutes, and honestly after that time, I am ready to get off. It is a merry go round with big giant horses that have been hand painted. My husband is not a huge fan so I usually wait to go when my sister is visiting, however, he will ride if I really have to go. This is not a must ride every single time we are Magic Kingdom, but again, it's pretty classic. My issue is with the line, first it is completely outside, no cover, no shade, if its raining or incredibly hot, you are in the same line, suffering. Once you enter the turnstile, they group you. This is my issue, we could be first into the group section but when they open the gate finally, people who were behind us can get it before us to pick the perfect horse. We all know, we all want that one horse, we want the prettiest, the biggest, the one on the outside and I absolutely hate having to battle families for that horse. I don't have kids so I always feel awkward and usually let children and families go in front of us. So I never end up with that perfect horse. But the ride itself is super cute, it has cute music and actually goes around pretty fast for a carousel. The scenery as it goes is also beautiful. Passing Cinderella's castle spin after spin is just so magical, it makes you feel like a kid again. This is definitely a must ride attraction, but if the line is super long, like wrapped around the carousel, skip it and come back. Do not wait more than 10 minutes for this. It will go down in wait. But please take a spin on it, even if you are an adult. It is that cute and that classic.

Honestly, what's not to love about a nostalgic ride at the heart of Magic Kingdom? If you take Main…read moreStreet straight back through the castle, you'll run into this ride. The line is usually pretty short on wait times and it seats a lot more than it appears. The horses give that classic feel to it, and my daughter loves going on this one. It's a short ride and has only a little movement to it, but it's a must-do for young children or classic Disney ride fans. Overall: A Vintage ride that offers all the Disney nostalgia.

This playground has a lot of great features. It is fenced in. It has nice artificial turf…read more(excellent for crawling babies). It has a fair amount of shade and a lot of picnic tables. It has two regular swings and two baby swings. It has a "little kid" and a "big kid" playground. It has bathrooms on site. The cons are that it can be difficult to keep an eye on all your children if one wants to be on the big playground and one on the little. Worse than that is that the big kid playground is a little TOO big. It has a lot of openings a child could fall out of that are quite high. Thankfully the third story doesn't have an opening, but I have seen older kids climb up the outside of the large enclosed slides all the way to the top. It was extremely scary! There are warnings for bees but I am yet to see any.

This is an updated review from me. I used to bring my nieces and nephews to Friendship Park, now…read moreI'm bringing my own kids. The park has toddler swings as well as regular swings, making it great for children of all ages. Since my last review, everything has been repainted and cleaned, and the improvements are noticeable. There are restrooms on-site and plenty of shaded areas. The entire playground is fenced in. It does get pretty busy during the day time on the weekends, as many birthdays occur here. Also, the church across the street uses the parking area on Sundays so parking can be limited during that time.

Hermits trail park is a nice little park for little kids to play on the pretty cool playgrounds…read more They also have a little pavilion. It has nice shade due to the trees and it is conveniently located.

This is a nice park! First things first: there are no bathrooms which is why it is four stars and…read morenot five. Otherwise it has excellent shade, various playground structures, baby and kid swings, and a small pavilion. I also like that the ground is the padded type for two playgrounds and the whole park is fenced in. The park is right off a busy section of 436 in Altamonte so it's a good thing it is fenced in. There are few parking spots next to the playground, otherwise there are more parking spaces if you follow the signs to a separate lot. If you're desperate for a bathroom, you'll still have to get in your car and drive down the street. My suggestion would be Panera or Walgreens.

This playground is incredible! A community funded project, this playground is not to be missed - it…read morehas designs and features I haven't seen anywhere else! We love stopping to play here if we are in the Deland area. Freedom Playground has plenty of parking, bathrooms, pavilions with picnic tables, and playground equipment that can be used by a wide range of ages and body abilities. I love that the park has one main entrance gate to keep kids contained and also has the little kid area separate from the big kid area. There are accessibility features like wheelchair accessible ramps for the playground equipment and a ground level merry-go-round. There's plenty of slides, climbing and obstacles, a zip line, pirate ships, pretend play houses, and all the features you would want in a playground. I love the nods to Florida with multiple gators throughout! Freedom Park is a Florida gem!

From what I've read online, DeLand faced the exact same issue that so many municipalities around…read morethe country have faced and continue to face regarding what to do with their playgrounds. At one point in time it was a thing to build these large destination playgrounds made out of wood. While a nice idea on paper, eventually the upkeep proves to be problematic and expensive. Eventually the municipality is faced with the hard choice of costly renovations that will need to be redone in the not too distant future, demolishing the structure or trying to replace it with something more modern/contemporary. Either way it equals a lot of money that usually is nowhere to be found. Thankfully a few years ago DeLand along with residents, area companies, school children and a newly formed non-profit committee figured out how to replace the original wooden structure. Amazingly over 300K in private donations were raised along with DeLand kicking in the rest and what you have today is an amazing structure/facility. In my own area there have a been a few success stories with places like this: www.savekidscastle.org/ But there have also been a few mismanaged disasters with places like this: articles.mcall.com/2004-11-19/news/3571642_1_playground-jungle-gym-time-capsule What works here: * Lots of parking * Solidly clean bathrooms * Lots of shaded areas * Super safe recycled rubber ground which means no tracking mulch into the car * A very needed water fountain * Lots of different structures/play areas/misters that offer a ton of diversity What doesn't work: * At least when we were here the zipline was in sad shape. It needs to be raised up or just gotten rid of it because it was way too low to be enjoyable. I don't want to lay on the hyperbole but honestly aside one other park (Kids Castle in Doylestown, PA) this place is the nicest that I've ever seen and even though my kids are arguably a bit on the too old side to be enjoying a place like this, they still did. Great job DeLand! What an awesome place for the community!

It always amazed me how cool old technology was. Seeing the…read moreold 20s-40s portion of the carousel of progress was always my favorite. The dog never changed, which was cool, but the surrounding technology in the kitchen was cool to see! And the space age family and what the future was going to be! Such a cool ride, I really do hope it never changes.

A classic Disney attraction with an interesting history…read more Shows can host several visitors every 10-15 minutes and the indoor seating offers respite from the sun or rain. The carousel takes us through years of innovation and advances in appliances, utilities, and technology. The younger generation needs to keep being reminded of what their parents and grandparents experienced. You're going to leave humming the catchy tune that is sung throughout the attraction. It's classic and I never regret spending time here.